James Morgan's Blog, page 2
November 9, 2010
Love letters
All manner of emails and letters have reached me since the release of In Search Of Alan Gilzean. All have extolled the virtues of Gillie as a player and each correspondent has expressed his/her genuine affection for the man. One, David Potter, the eminent Celtic historian, author, and a Perthshire contemporary of Gillie's, felt moved enough to write a review of the book "for anyone, if you want" and I have enclosed it below. This is not meant as self-congratulatory praise but rather to answer the accusation by another reviewer that the book does not go far enough and that I was "disappointed" that I did not get the answers I wanted. Let me be clear: I was not disappointed by how my search ended. It was, after all, something that could only be controlled by how events unfolded and the journey was only a part of discovering Alan Gilzean, the man. The search was two-fold: it was a physical search and a figurative one. The outcome is what it is. And, anyway, as I have said previously in this blog, many of the answers about what happened next are there but they will not be picked up by reading the book with a superficial eye. They have not been spelled out and with good reason.
IN SEARCH OF ALAN GILZEAN by James MorganThere are some books that football fans really must read. This is one of them. The author, a lifelong fan of the Cockerels of White Hart Lane, has decided that the well known recluse Alan Gilzean must be tracked down and given due credit for what he achieved. He did indeed achieve a great deal, did Alan, but there now remains a danger almost half a century on from his floruit that his memory may begin to dim. Indeed there are now some in his native Coupar Angus who have not heard of him, and with his old club Dundee (not for the first time) in danger of extinction, there is a chance that Alan's contribution may disappear as well. This book is therefore a timeous attempt to redress the balance.The high point of his career to Scottish eyes at least was the goal that he scored at Hampden on the rainy day of 11 April 1964 to beat England 1-0 and secure a hat-trick of victories over the "Auld Enemy", but to London eyes of course, he was the King of White Hart Lane, and the author has been very diligent in tracking down Gilzean's team mates to talk about Alan. A complex character emerges. Contrary to what has been said elsewhere, Gilzean did not really have a drink problem (others did, of course) although he liked a drink and had a few "moments". He was not necessarily the keenest "forager" for the ball, for he felt that his job was to score goals. He had a particular dislike of Bob Wilson, not because he was the Arsenal goalkeeper, but because he was a "fake" Scotsman who, Gilzean thought, became Scottish when it suited him to win a Scottish cap.The Dundee days are well documented with emphasis on his great performance in the Ibrox fog of November 1961, the game that really convinced folk that Dundee might just win the Championship. They wobbled a bit near the end, but eventually did it, leading them to an eventful run in Europe the following year. Maybe he should have stayed at Dens, or perhaps held out for a transfer to Rangers or Celtic, but to England he went in December 1964 (after a prolonged wrangle with Dundee which did not reflect well on anyone), and teaming up with men like Jimmy Greaves and Martin Chivers, became the legend of Tottenham Hotspur. The author compares him with Berbatov. Gilzean, in my view, was a lot better.The book leaves a few questions unanswered, questions that will possibly never be answered, simply because Alan Gilzean does not wish to answer them. He is entitled to his privacy, but this should not deflect us from glorifying the great man that he was. The author has done an excellent job in this respect, and at £9.99, the problem of what to get for Dad's Christmas has now been solved. Any self-respecting Dundee or Spurs fan must have this book, as indeed should anyone who likes football nostalgia. For Dundee fans, nostalgia is about all that they have left.David Potter
IN SEARCH OF ALAN GILZEAN by James MorganThere are some books that football fans really must read. This is one of them. The author, a lifelong fan of the Cockerels of White Hart Lane, has decided that the well known recluse Alan Gilzean must be tracked down and given due credit for what he achieved. He did indeed achieve a great deal, did Alan, but there now remains a danger almost half a century on from his floruit that his memory may begin to dim. Indeed there are now some in his native Coupar Angus who have not heard of him, and with his old club Dundee (not for the first time) in danger of extinction, there is a chance that Alan's contribution may disappear as well. This book is therefore a timeous attempt to redress the balance.The high point of his career to Scottish eyes at least was the goal that he scored at Hampden on the rainy day of 11 April 1964 to beat England 1-0 and secure a hat-trick of victories over the "Auld Enemy", but to London eyes of course, he was the King of White Hart Lane, and the author has been very diligent in tracking down Gilzean's team mates to talk about Alan. A complex character emerges. Contrary to what has been said elsewhere, Gilzean did not really have a drink problem (others did, of course) although he liked a drink and had a few "moments". He was not necessarily the keenest "forager" for the ball, for he felt that his job was to score goals. He had a particular dislike of Bob Wilson, not because he was the Arsenal goalkeeper, but because he was a "fake" Scotsman who, Gilzean thought, became Scottish when it suited him to win a Scottish cap.The Dundee days are well documented with emphasis on his great performance in the Ibrox fog of November 1961, the game that really convinced folk that Dundee might just win the Championship. They wobbled a bit near the end, but eventually did it, leading them to an eventful run in Europe the following year. Maybe he should have stayed at Dens, or perhaps held out for a transfer to Rangers or Celtic, but to England he went in December 1964 (after a prolonged wrangle with Dundee which did not reflect well on anyone), and teaming up with men like Jimmy Greaves and Martin Chivers, became the legend of Tottenham Hotspur. The author compares him with Berbatov. Gilzean, in my view, was a lot better.The book leaves a few questions unanswered, questions that will possibly never be answered, simply because Alan Gilzean does not wish to answer them. He is entitled to his privacy, but this should not deflect us from glorifying the great man that he was. The author has done an excellent job in this respect, and at £9.99, the problem of what to get for Dad's Christmas has now been solved. Any self-respecting Dundee or Spurs fan must have this book, as indeed should anyone who likes football nostalgia. For Dundee fans, nostalgia is about all that they have left.David Potter
October 22, 2010
Happy Birthday Gillie
Couldn't let the day pass without mentioning that today is Alan's birthday. His exact date of birth was a matter that vexed me for some time when I was writing the book. Both his son, Ian Gilzean, and a former Dundee team-mate, Bobby Wishart, speculated that they couldn't even be sure of his correct age when interviewed for a piece in The Scotsman last year. The internet invariably threw up two dates: October 23rd 1938 or October 22nd 1938. The discrepancy seemed miniscule, yet was a major one at the same time and seemed to encapsulate perfectly all of the rumours and myths which accompanied his life. It took a visit to the public records office near the end of my search to confirm that Alan John Gilzean was indeed born on October 22nd, 1938.
Happy 72nd birthday, Gillie.
Happy 72nd birthday, Gillie.
October 11, 2010
Attention Dundee fans
Tickets are selling fast for the second In Search Of Alan Gilzean night at the New Picture House cinema in St Andrews on Saturday, October 23rd. I understand that these are straitened times for the club and supporters are being asked to dig deep for the second time in seven years but, hopefully, the night in St Andrews will give fans a chance to reflect on a time when Dundee were the best team in Scotland and possessed the greatest player in the country. Pat Liney, the goalkeeper from the 1962 league-winning team will be in attendance as will Ron Ross, former sports editor of the Dundee Courier and a schoolfriend of Gillie's. If it's as much fun as the launch in Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre last month then supporters are in for a treat.
All ticket proceeds from the evening will go to the Dundee Supporters Society. Tickets cost just £5 and entitle you to a £2 discount on the book. They can be purchased here: http://bit.ly/9WAHyn Doors open at 8.00pm.
All ticket proceeds from the evening will go to the Dundee Supporters Society. Tickets cost just £5 and entitle you to a £2 discount on the book. They can be purchased here: http://bit.ly/9WAHyn Doors open at 8.00pm.
October 6, 2010
Gillie night in St Andrews
For those of you who missed the launch of In Search Of Alan Gilzean, there is a second chance to watch the great man in action and hear stories about his life at Dundee and his early days in Coupar Angus. Pat Liney, the goalkeeper in the 1962 league-winning team, will be in attendance once again as will former schoolfriend Ron Ross, the former sports editor of the Dundee Courier, who features heavily in the search. Both men were among the few who actually witnessed Dundee's epic 5-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox in which Gillie scored four times. Indeed, Ron travelled through the fog to Glasgow in the company of Billy Forbes, Gilzean's cousin. Pat, of course, famously had to ask Alec Hamilton, the Dundee right-back, what the score was because he couldn't see Rangers' goal area from his own.
The night starts at 8pm on Saturday, October 23rd in the New Picture House in St Andrews and tickets, costing £5 but entitling you to a £2 discount on the book, are available here: http://bit.ly/9WAHyn
The night starts at 8pm on Saturday, October 23rd in the New Picture House in St Andrews and tickets, costing £5 but entitling you to a £2 discount on the book, are available here: http://bit.ly/9WAHyn
October 5, 2010
Scottish Daily Mail and Dundee match programme
Here are two further pieces which appeared recently in the Scottish Daily Mail and the Dundee programme. One focuses heavily on the search and the other answers some of the criticism I heard when the blurb for the book was first released - chiefly that Gilzean's name had not been forgotten by Dundee or Tottenham supporters.
Scottish Daily Mail, Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
Dundee match programme versus Raith Rovers. Saturday, Septermber 20th, 2010
Scottish Daily Mail, Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
Dundee match programme versus Raith Rovers. Saturday, Septermber 20th, 2010
October 3, 2010
Reviews
Two nice reviews appeared online and in the national press this weekend. The first is in the Sunday Herald and is written by Harry Reid, estimable former editor of The Herald, and the second is on the Sports Journalists' Association website and is written by Anton Rippon, himself an author of over 30 books and the founder of prolific football history publisher Breedon Books.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/non-fiction-reviews/james-morgan-in-search-of-alan-gilzean-the-lost-legacy-of-a-dundee-and-spurs-legend-backpage-press-9-99-1.1058960
http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/other-bodies/football-writers/in-search-of-alan-gilzean-dundees-invisible-legend/
http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/non-fiction-reviews/james-morgan-in-search-of-alan-gilzean-the-lost-legacy-of-a-dundee-and-spurs-legend-backpage-press-9-99-1.1058960
http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/other-bodies/football-writers/in-search-of-alan-gilzean-dundees-invisible-legend/
September 29, 2010
Statues, shirts and shameless plugs
I've been a bit remiss of late. I had expected to post more regularly than this in the weeks following the launch but I have been pretty busy with interviews and spin-off work since 'Gillie' was released. In that time Dundee have announced they are effectively skint and are considering administration for the second time in a decade, I've heard an unsubstantiated rumour that Coupar Angus was going to erect a statue to Gilzean, Spurs have revived memories of the Glory nights with a resounding Champions League win and Gillie has been pictured here http://plixi.com/p/47513707 with a Spurs supporter named Jason Evans, who spent the best part of 50 minutes chatting to Alan recently and even got him to sign a specially designed 125th anniversary shirt.
In the meantime, I have had numerous emails and letters from fans of both the book and Alan Gilzean. I have already told those whom I have responded to that I am extremely flattered by their kind words. For those who have contacted me and not heard back, apologies. I will be in touch just as soon as I get a chance. I have been overwhelmed by the reaction to the book and in recent weeks a number of reputable organs have either previewed or reviewed it. I enclose these shameless plugs below for your perusal.
You will also find a lovely review of the launch by The Scotsman's Alan Pattullo here: http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Alan-Gilzean-remains-a-mystery.6539656.jp
Finally, for anyone interested in contributing to the relief fund set up by Dundee supporters to help the club through its latest financial crisis, you can do so here: http://www.dee4life.com/
In the meantime, I have had numerous emails and letters from fans of both the book and Alan Gilzean. I have already told those whom I have responded to that I am extremely flattered by their kind words. For those who have contacted me and not heard back, apologies. I will be in touch just as soon as I get a chance. I have been overwhelmed by the reaction to the book and in recent weeks a number of reputable organs have either previewed or reviewed it. I enclose these shameless plugs below for your perusal.
You will also find a lovely review of the launch by The Scotsman's Alan Pattullo here: http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Alan-Gilzean-remains-a-mystery.6539656.jp
Finally, for anyone interested in contributing to the relief fund set up by Dundee supporters to help the club through its latest financial crisis, you can do so here: http://www.dee4life.com/
September 19, 2010
Berbatov? Pah! He isn't a patch on Gilzean
"He was far better than Berbatov," said Ian Ure, the centre-half in Dundee's title-winning team in 1962.
"If I was a football manager and you gave me the money to buy one of them, then it would be Gillie every time," concurred Pat Liney, the goalkeeper in the same team.
The 100 or so guests who attended the launch of In Search of Alan Gilzean in Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre yesterday could hardly have realised the significance of the words they had just heard from Gillie's former team-mates, two central characters in the book.
Less than 24 hours later, Dimitar Berbatov would single-handedly guide Manchester United to a 3-2 win over Liverpool in a thrilling Premier League match, the highlight of which was a sensational overhead kick by the Bulgarian.
It wasn't just that Ure and Liney expressed the sentiments, though, it was the assurance with which they did so that made their claim that Gilzean was Berbatov's superior all the more convincing.
It proved a fitting end to a wonderfully nostalgic launch. The Dundee legends were full of tales about the title-winning team and their former team-mate with the golden touch.
Ure remembered losing his temper with Gilzean because he felt he wasn't putting in a shift during an away match against Cologne in the European Cup, losing his temper with a German opponent whom he booted in the ribs in revenge for an earlier challenge and losing his temper with another goalkeeper, Bert Slater, who, concussed from a blow to the head, wouldn't come round in the dressing-room at half-time, despite several slaps to the face. There were plenty of belly laughs at that one.
But perhaps the funniest tale was left to Pat Liney. Recalling an FA Cup tie against Spurs whilst playing for Bradford City in the 1970s, he recounted the teamtalk before kick-off.
"Our manager was making plans for corners to Spurs," said Pat. "He was telling Norman, our centre-forward, to come back and pick up Martin Chivers every time Spurs had a corner. He went through most of the team. And then I said to him, 'What about Gilzean?" and he said, 'Is he good in the air?'. To which I said 'Well, he scored about 50 goals one season in Scotland and 40 of them were with his head.'"
It was a good weekend for the Gilzean brand. This morning, Jimmy Greaves recalled his former strike partner with real warmth and affection in his weekly column in the People, but claimed that he hadn't spoken to his "blood brother" in 40 years.
He also had some particularly nice words to say about the book. You can read Jimmy's column here: http://www.people.co.uk/sport/columnists/jimmy-greaves/2010/09/19/why-i-ve-not-seen-my-spurs-partner-alan-gilzean-for-40-years-102039-22571450/
And finally, for all those who missed the launch we're hosting another Gillie night next month in NPH Cinema in St Andrews on Saturday, 23rd October at 8pm. It promises to be another great night. We will also be announcing details of Spurs-themed Gillie nights in the London area in the near future so keep checking the blog or http://www.backpagepress.co.uk for further details.
"If I was a football manager and you gave me the money to buy one of them, then it would be Gillie every time," concurred Pat Liney, the goalkeeper in the same team.
The 100 or so guests who attended the launch of In Search of Alan Gilzean in Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre yesterday could hardly have realised the significance of the words they had just heard from Gillie's former team-mates, two central characters in the book.
Less than 24 hours later, Dimitar Berbatov would single-handedly guide Manchester United to a 3-2 win over Liverpool in a thrilling Premier League match, the highlight of which was a sensational overhead kick by the Bulgarian.
It wasn't just that Ure and Liney expressed the sentiments, though, it was the assurance with which they did so that made their claim that Gilzean was Berbatov's superior all the more convincing.
It proved a fitting end to a wonderfully nostalgic launch. The Dundee legends were full of tales about the title-winning team and their former team-mate with the golden touch.
Ure remembered losing his temper with Gilzean because he felt he wasn't putting in a shift during an away match against Cologne in the European Cup, losing his temper with a German opponent whom he booted in the ribs in revenge for an earlier challenge and losing his temper with another goalkeeper, Bert Slater, who, concussed from a blow to the head, wouldn't come round in the dressing-room at half-time, despite several slaps to the face. There were plenty of belly laughs at that one.
But perhaps the funniest tale was left to Pat Liney. Recalling an FA Cup tie against Spurs whilst playing for Bradford City in the 1970s, he recounted the teamtalk before kick-off.
"Our manager was making plans for corners to Spurs," said Pat. "He was telling Norman, our centre-forward, to come back and pick up Martin Chivers every time Spurs had a corner. He went through most of the team. And then I said to him, 'What about Gilzean?" and he said, 'Is he good in the air?'. To which I said 'Well, he scored about 50 goals one season in Scotland and 40 of them were with his head.'"
It was a good weekend for the Gilzean brand. This morning, Jimmy Greaves recalled his former strike partner with real warmth and affection in his weekly column in the People, but claimed that he hadn't spoken to his "blood brother" in 40 years.
He also had some particularly nice words to say about the book. You can read Jimmy's column here: http://www.people.co.uk/sport/columnists/jimmy-greaves/2010/09/19/why-i-ve-not-seen-my-spurs-partner-alan-gilzean-for-40-years-102039-22571450/
And finally, for all those who missed the launch we're hosting another Gillie night next month in NPH Cinema in St Andrews on Saturday, 23rd October at 8pm. It promises to be another great night. We will also be announcing details of Spurs-themed Gillie nights in the London area in the near future so keep checking the blog or http://www.backpagepress.co.uk for further details.
